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State Department opts out of UN nuclear weapons talks

Electing not to participate in United Nations negotiations regarding a potential nuclear weapons ban concluding recently in New York City, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement clarifying its position regarding national security.

Among its reasons for opting out of the discussions was the consensus that the current proposal would do nothing to eliminate nuclear weapons or improve security at the state level. Officials pointed out that no political entity in possession of nuclear weapons actually attended discussions; moreover, none of the United States’ allies that favor long-term deterrence supported the proposal in its final form.

Affirming that the U.S. is dedicated to both responsible disarmament and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a global agreement to deter nuclear weapons and promote cooperation, the State Department expressed its intention to abide by the parameters of the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) Treaty) – a nuclear arms reduction agreement between the U.S. and Russia – as of February 2018.

“Nuclear disarmament cannot take place in a vacuum,” the State Department said in its release. “It would require a transformation of the international security environment, consensus-based approaches … rigorous verification, and swift and sure enforcement against any potential violation.”

The State Department called on all nations to collaborate with its endeavor to confront the “real security challenges” needed to implement change, starting with North Korea’s recent actions in defiance of UN positions.

“The proposed treaty produced by the nuclear weapons ban negotiations fails in all of these respects, and will do nothing to advance real-world efforts to make the world a safer place,” the release said.

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